Why do people keep saying "Mia defended Polanski"?

[redqueen]

I've seen this claim multiple times.

I know for a fact Woody has made a big show out of defending Polanski regarding his crime of sleeping with an underage girl.

I know Mia defended Polanski in a libel trial, which had nothing to do with sleeping with underage girls.


Can someone explain to me why I keep seeing people bringing up the fact that Mia defended Polanski as if it has anything to do with Dylan's letter and her allegations against Woody Allen?

[gollygee]

1. I don't understand why it would mean anything regardless

She doesn't have to become a generalized child abuse advocate to be upset by abuse of her own child. I'd hope anyone would be upset by any child abuse, but the one does not require the other.

[redqueen]

8. It's just a smear tactic.

I guess if one is desperately grasping for anything at all to smear Mia Farrow with, then one doesn't care much about logic.

[sabrina 1]

34. She is a close friend of Polanski. She did defend him in a libel suit, passionately.

She spoke of what a wonderful person he was. Are you denying something that everyone knows? She has never condemned him for what happened, and in that case Polanski admitted what happened, so she knows.

You can't 'smear' someone with facts. She remains his friend, which is her business but it raises a lot of questions about her claimed huge concerns about child molestation for a lot of people whether you like it or not.

Why people care so much about the wealthy Hollywood actors, is beyond me. All of them are doing just fine. There are real victims right now living homeless on our streets, being killed by our bombs, children.

Enjoy the tabloid discussion if it interests you that much, I'm more fascinated by the fascination with something that happened two decades ago, was resolved in the courts, and apparently everyone involved is better off than millions of people in this country.

[Jefferson23]

38. Dylan, evidently, does not feel anything was resolved. The decision not to prosecute was not hers

to make. I do not believe anyone's high economic status is a sure bet to heal their trauma.

[sabrina 1]

41. Well, I don't know Dylan. I do know people personally who have been traumatized

and abused and have gone on with their lives with far fewer resources than Dylan has. What they did have was the ability to not allow anything to prevent them from living full lives, a lack of any need for revenge and a real commitment to devoting themselves to those they love rather than to those they hate.

You speak of her as if you know her, so maybe because of that you are more personally concerned.

There are millions of other people right now, who are being seriously abused, traumatized, killed even, and many of them are suffering because of our Government's policies. I feel far more concerned about those people due to the fact that their suffering is directly related to our failure to stop the policies that caused these horrific abuses.

I just can't devote energy to something like this when there is so much more that requires the kind of energy some people are willing to devote to it. Sorry. I read as much as I could about it, found nothing to make me feel I need to get involved, and I'm sure Dylan's book will make a fortune.

[Jefferson23]

44. I don't know Dylan and I don't need to, to understand that deep pockets of money is

no guarantee to heal her past. I believe she hopes to advocate for others who have been abused.

It does not and has not taken up much time to extend an abuse victim that consideration
on a political forum.

[sabrina 1]

47. If you don't know her why do you call her by her first name? I always assume

that if someone on a first name basis with someone they know them personally, or they 'feel' they do. Apparently you don't know her any better than I do.

I know zero about her and no, she is not an 'abuse victim'. She is claiming to be an 'abuse victim'.

Her mother is close friends with a man who admitted to sexually abusing a child. I wonder how 'Dylan' feels about that?

How do you feel about the Iraq Women who were raped and the children who were sexually abused by US Troops in Abu Ghraib eg?

We KNOW they were because there was video and witnesses. Has this country shown even a fraction of the 'concern' for their welfare that they are devoting to this case where is there virtually NO evidence of abuse?

Seems so out of proportion, very odd actually for this country to pretend it cares about abuse victims when they are responsible for the killing, torture, sexual abuse of untold numbers of women and children.

I just wish I could see all this energy devoted to women like 'Noor' eg. That is all we know about her identity. But we do know what happened to her. She isn't a Hollywood movie star's daughter, or even an American. Maybe that's it, she isn't an American. Maybe you have to be an American woman to get this kind of attention.

Anyhow, I'll go back to worrying about the victims of our government's policies who have yet to see any justice, for some of course it's too late, they are dead, like the 14 year old Iraqi girl who was gang raped by US Troops after seeing her family murdered and then murdered, her body burned, herself.

I've wasted too much on this twenty year old story when there are so many more important things to try to do something about. 'Dylan' I'm sure appreciates your support.

[Jefferson23]

48. I'm suppose to call her Ms Farrow? lol. Your hostility is duly noted for wealthy abuse victims.

This is not about her mother and who she befriended or not, it is about the young woman.

"Allen’s defenders have always had one simple fact on their side: He has never been charged with a crime, much less convicted."

snip//

And in their May 1994 decision, the judges of the New York appellate court held that, with regard to the events of Aug. 4, 1992, “the testimony given at trial by the individuals caring for the children that day, the videotape of Dylan made by Ms. Farrow the following day and the accounts of Dylan's behavior toward Mr. Allen both before and after the alleged instance of abuse, suggest that the abuse did occur.” Although “the evidence in support of the allegations remains inconclusive,” the court stated, “our review of the record militates against a finding that Ms. Farrow fabricated the allegations without any basis.”

snip* Wilk criticized Yale–New Haven’s findings, stating that the hospital’s team declined to testify at trial except via deposition by team leader John Leventhal and destroyed its notes on the case; a 1997 Connecticut Magazine piece pointed out that Leventhal had never interviewed Dylan.* In her first piece for Vanity Fair about the Allen case, published in 1992, Orth had at least 25 on-the-record interviews—with sources both named and unnamed—attesting that Allen was “completely obsessed” with Dylan: “He could not seem to keep his hands off her,” Orth wrote.

In his June 1993 ruling, Wilk also denied Allen any visitation rights with Dylan or his older adopted child with Farrow, 15-year-old Moses. In May 1994, in a hearing considering custody or increased visitation for Allen, the Appellate Division of the state Supreme Court cited a “clear consensus” among psychiatric experts involved in the case that Allen’s “interest in Dylan was abnormally intense.”

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/culturebox/2014/01/did_woody_allen_molest_his_adopted_daughter_22_years_ago_reviewing_the_evidence.html

[Cha]

12. Well, it would falsely imply that she thought it

was okay for Polanski but not okay for Woody. They're implying she's a hypocrite and a liar.

[gollygee]

13. It would only show

that her concern was for her children and more than people's children. Which might be regrettable but is probably not uncommon.

[Whisp]

2. I don't know anything about that either and look forward to info. n/t

[blue neen]

3. Two simple words.

Straw man.

[bettyellen]

4. it is cut and pasted from that shitty hit piece on Mia that so many shared a link to....

the one that blames her for breaking up (five times married) Previn's marriage, and other she-devil activities.
The guy who worked on Woody Allen's doc wrote it.

[redqueen]

6. It's freeperland logic, in other words.

Nice to see it so popular here all of a sudden.

[justiceischeap]

5. I can't believe, in a way, I'm defending Polanski by defending Farrow

but here's the link to the article of Mia Farrow "defending" Polanski... in a libel suit that had nothing to do with his rape case.

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/jul/20/pressandpublishing.filmnews

Star witnesses don't come more stellar than Mia Farrow - especially if, like Roman Polanski, you have a reputation to defend.

In court number 13 of the high court yesterday, the 60-year-old former Hollywood actor took the witness stand to recall her meeting with the Polish film-maker 37 years ago in a Manhattan restaurant - a meeting, she said, that would forever be "scalded" on her memory.

Farrow, who starred in Rosemary's Baby, directed by Polanski in 1968, was giving evidence on day two of his libel action against Condé Nast, the publisher of Vanity Fair.

Farrow had come to the high court to tell the jury about her meeting with Polanski at Elaine's, a well-known New York media hangout, in August 1969, a few weeks after Polanski's wife, Sharon Tate, had been murdered, along with four others, at their Californian home by members of the Charles Manson family.

[redqueen]

7. You're not, though. You're helping to correct the mendacious smearing of Mia Farrow.

Thanks.

[Cha]

14. thanks for that, j

[KittyWampus]

9. Same reason some people keep saying Woody Allen was Soon Yi's stepfather.

[redqueen]

10. No. One is not technically true but an understandable misstatement.

He wasn't married to Mia, but he was in a long term relationship with her. So, not a step father but close enough to make the misstatement understandable.

I've also seen people here flatly declaring that he never spent the night in Mia's apartment. No citation, just desperately throwing in whatever claim they can to try to frame him as not being a creepy pervert.

I have news for those people. It isn't the marriage certificate which makes him a creepy pervert. It's the fact that he married his long-term girlfriend's adopted daughter, whom he knew as a child and whom he watched grow up into a young woman - and whom he struck up a relationship with when she was a teenager.

See, there's this concept that most people understand as 'boundaries'. Anyway, I digress...



As for the claim in this OP, it is not only wrong - it is used in a very particular way. It is used to mislead. It is a disgusting rightwing tactic but hey, desperate times call for desperate measures I guess.

[Major Nikon]

16. She was 20, so not a teenager

This is her quote:

"To think that Woody was in any way a father or stepfather to me is laughable. My parents are Andre Previn and Mia, but obviously they're not even my real parents," Previn said at the time. "I came to America when I was seven. I was never remotely close to Woody. He was someone who was devoted exclusively to his own children and to his work, and we never spent a moment together."

They have been married for 16 years so obviously Soon Yi doesn't consider him creepy and I'm pretty sure she's the one that counts.

[Cha]

11. I dunno.. I saw it last night.. and thought that was

pretty weird. Thanks for straightening that out, rq.

It's such a hornets' nest.. will it ever be resolved?

[Jefferson23]

20. Seems there is limited information and then there are agendas...but the information we

know that is documented has been ignored by Allen's defenders. The judge in the case
gave his reasons why he would not accept the Yale's teams conclusions. Imho, his
wisdom speaks volumes, which was based on the following, you decide.

snip* Wilk criticized Yale–New Haven’s findings, stating that the hospital’s team declined to testify at trial except via deposition by team leader John Leventhal and destroyed its notes on the case; a 1997 Connecticut Magazine piece pointed out that Leventhal had never interviewed Dylan.* In her first piece for Vanity Fair about the Allen case, published in 1992, Orth had at least 25 on-the-record interviews—with sources both named and unnamed—attesting that Allen was “completely obsessed” with Dylan: “He could not seem to keep his hands off her,” Orth wrote.

In his June 1993 ruling, Wilk also denied Allen any visitation rights with Dylan or his older adopted child with Farrow, 15-year-old Moses. In May 1994, in a hearing considering custody or increased visitation for Allen, the Appellate Division of the state Supreme Court cited a “clear consensus” among psychiatric experts involved in the case that Allen’s “interest in Dylan was abnormally intense.”

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/culturebox/2014/01/did_woody_allen_molest_his_adopted_daughter_22_years_ago_reviewing_the_evidence.html

* It is not typical nor professional to destroy notes in such a manner.

[Generic Other]

24. Woody's relationship to all the females in his life has seemed "abnormally intense"

It's a MAJOR part of his own self-absorbed confessional films. Not surprising he developed the same sort of obsession with the poor child. She fit the look of the women he dated. It may be he chose women for their childlike freespirit natures. Pretty quirky blonde women like Keaton, Lasser and Farrow. Dylan resembles them in some ways. Just younger. He does seem obsessed with teenage girls.

I think there was inappropriate behavior that crossed a line. Both with Soon-Yi and with Dylan.

[Jefferson23]

26. I was struck by what the judge found to be unreliable by the Yale team, and your observations

are not controversial about him...all considered. Boundary issues, to say the least.

[Cha]

25. Thank you for this, Jefferson..

from your link..

"Allen’s defenders have always had one simple fact on their side: He has never been charged with a crime, much less convicted."

snip//

And in their May 1994 decision, the judges of the New York appellate court held that, with regard to the events of Aug. 4, 1992, “the testimony given at trial by the individuals caring for the children that day, the videotape of Dylan made by Ms. Farrow the following day and the accounts of Dylan's behavior toward Mr. Allen both before and after the alleged instance of abuse, suggest that the abuse did occur.” Although “the evidence in support of the allegations remains inconclusive,” the court stated, “our review of the record militates against a finding that Ms. Farrow fabricated the allegations without any basis.”

Compelling article.. thanks again, Jefferson

[Jefferson23]

27. You're quite welcome, thought it was well researched vs other incomplete info out there. n/t

[El_Johns]

15. Polanski sued Vanity Fair over a 2002 article that claimed he was trying to seduce a young woman

at a restaurant on the day of his wife's funeral.


This was after the rape case, and the attitude of VF toward Polanski is shown here:


The Vanity Fair editor, Graydon Carter, who was in court throughout the trial, said he found it "amazing" that "a man who lives in France can sue a magazine published in America in a British court".

"As a father of four children, one of them a 12-year-old daughter, I find it equally outrageous that this story is considered defamatory," he said.

But Farrow told the court Polanski had been in no mood for seduction on the night in late August 1969 when she met him in Elaine's, and that he had "brushed off" two women who tried to flirt with him.

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2005/jul/22/pressandpublishing.generalelection2005

Farrow also appeared in the Film "Polanski, Wanted & Desired," part of which was exulpatory information about the trial:

In 2008, a documentary film of the aftermath of the incident, Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Following review of the film, Polanski and his attorney, Douglas Dalton contacted the Los Angeles district attorney's office about prosecutor David Wells' role in coaching the judge, Laurence J. Rittenband. Using Wells' own claims from the film, Polanski and Dalton are investigating whether the prosecutor acted illegally and engaged in malfeasance in interfering with the operation of the trial.

http://en.metapedia.org/wiki/Roman_Polanski#2009_Arrest

[Major Nikon]

21. Polanski is a no-shit convicted child molester who druged and raped a 13 yr old girl

But I guess palling around with someone like that has "nothing to do with sleeping with underage girls" so it's OK.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

22. Soooo....wait a minute

The libel suit actually kinda had something to do with sleeping with underage girls?

Whoops. OP might want to walk some stuff back now.

[El_Johns]

31. I don't know how young the woman in question was supposed to be. A potential starlet.

But it does seem rather obvious that animus toward Polanski for the rape case was the reason VF published the charge. Judging from the publisher's response.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

32. Ah, I see now....

I was sort of confused as to what the attempt to libel him was over.

[Bonobo]

17. Why do people keep saying marrying a younger woman is analogous to pedophilia?

I guess it's just because people say stupid shit.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

18. Why do people keep saying...

that having sex with a woman with whom you have zero biological or legal relationship is incest?

Ignorant people say ignorant things.

[treestar]

59. oh come on

in this particular case, he was a father figure in the house. It's still weird. He's supposed to have been her mother's lover.

[Major Nikon]

60. Soon Yi had a father figure that wasn't Allen and considered the idea laughable

"To think that Woody was in any way a father or stepfather to me is laughable. My parents are Andre Previn and Mia, but obviously they're not even my real parents," Previn said at the time. "I came to America when I was seven. I was never remotely close to Woody. He was someone who was devoted exclusively to his own children and to his work, and we never spent a moment together."

By the time they did spend a moment together, Soon Yi was a sophomore in college. They have been together for 17 years.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

62. Nope. Not even close.

Allen and Farrow never co-habituated. Soon-Yi had a father figure in her life in the form of her adopted father, Andre Previn.

[Generic Other]

28. It's partially the age difference itself

but maybe more the feeling that he walks the thin line and sometimes strays over it?

The changing relationship between Soon-Yi and Allen is problematic. A mother's boyfriend has no business making moves on her kids in her house no matter what. That is a recipe for trouble. Let's not sugarcoat that. If they were not rich and famous, no one else would either. Apparently at the time, the authorities knew the whole scenario posed a danger to the welfare of all the minor children. Whether Soon-Yi was of age or not. These were adopted children. They were the responsibility of the state. If they were in danger the state had the legal and moral responsibility to act in their interest. And they did. While they didn't press charges, they did deny him custody. They saw the issue was a bit deeper than the letter of the law. They also did not remove the children from Mia. But they did act in what they believed was the children's best interest.

All that blather about Soon-Yi's uncertain age makes me more rather than less suspicious about how long he may have had his eye on Soon-Yi. The timeline of Mia finding that Allen had been taking inappropriate photos of Soon-Yi and Dylan's experiences with him coincide, but do not reveal when the relationship began. I suspect Allen's marriage to Soon-Yi was a bit of a shotgun wedding undertaken to save his career. I find it troubling he has since been allowed to adopt two girls. And that he continues to press for relationships with Mia's children including Dylan.

I don't think it's stupid to question Allen's behavior. Just my opinion though.

[Bonobo]

29. Married for 20 years.

That's number one. Married for TWENTY years.

The other thing is that mature bodies and pre-pubescent bodies are completely different things and a pedophile is a person attracted to pre-pubescent bodies.

So saying that his relationship with Soon-Yi was "problematic" has zero to do with pedophilia.

Just my opinion though.

[Generic Other]

30. As I stated earlier but not well

We do not know for certain when he began a relationship with Soon-Yi. But you are right. There apparently is a difference between breaking the law with an underage teen or committing pedophilia. I suspect that Allen is guilty on both counts.

[Bonobo]

33. And I suspect that that the act of marrying Soon-Yi...

Which disturbs people because it violates two taboos (age and incest, in a knee-jerk sense) prejudices people into assuming that he must be guilty of a truly heinous act.

But in reality, the two issues have no relationship. 7 years olds have no resemblance to mature women.

It sort of reminds me of people that think that homosexuals are more likely to be pedophiles. Ignorant thinking, the allowing of personal dislike of a behavior (and moral judgment) to bleed into an overall condemnation.

[Jefferson23]

35. Nah, Allen had boundary issues and one needs to only look at the judge's opinion

of the veracity of the Yale team to decide if he is piece of shit or not.

You can remove Soon Yi, altogether from the equation.

[kcr]

36. I get the impression though that some seem to think it means he's innocent

Allen was into teenagers. He wouldn't molest a little girl. Also ignorant thinking.

"It sort of reminds me of people that think that homosexuals are more likely to be pedophiles. Ignorant thinking, the allowing of personal dislike of a behavior (and moral judgment) to bleed into an overall condemnation."

This is beyond ignorant. Soon Yi was family. His actions showed huge boundary issues. People who are judging him for this are in no way equivalent to people who think that homosexuals are pedophiles.

[Bonobo]

37. Boundary issues do not make you attracted to pre-pubescents.

Yes, it is complete ignorance to suggest that pedophilia is somehow the result of "not knowing boundaries".

In fact, it is beyond ignorance to the point of offensive stupidity because it suggests that it is only the knowledge of proper behavior that prevents people from sexually attacking pre-pubescent children.

Where the fuck does knowledge of "boundaries" enter into anything?

[Jefferson23]

46. He was not able to keep boundaries, due to the nature of his urges. n/t

[kcr]

49. No. But it doesn't make it entirely unthinkable either.

No one is suggesting it is the direct result. If Soon Yi didn't exist, no one would be suggesting there must be a situation like Soon Yi somewhere in his past.

[Generic Other]

52. He likes child-like waifish women too

Childlike qualities: Louise Lasser, Diane Keaton, Mia Farrow. A relationship with his girlfriend's barely legal teenage daughter. Convincing evidence documenting his inappropriate behavior with her little sister as well. They form a pattern. His obsessions are no secret. And escalate with time. You don't want to call him a pedo. Fine. Call hm anything you like. Iyt doesn't change the reality that he's not someone anyone should want around their young daughters.

[treestar]

58. oh come on

in this case, he was a father figure for years, in the same house. got to admit it's kind of weird in this case.

[Major Nikon]

19. "nothing to do with sleeping with underage girls"

Neither does Allen and Soon-Yi, but you seem to think that is relevant. Seems to be a case of the doublethink.

[edbermac]

23. True, she only defended him regarding the libel trial, however...

Why would she go out of her way to help a guy who had been convicted of statutory rape when she believed her own daughter was assaulted?

"My daughter was abused, and now a convicted rapist is being sued for libel, but I'll fly to London to testify on his behalf anyway."

Huh? I find that strange, to say the least.

And this article from March 2012 below she praises Rosemary's Baby as the only good film she ever made:

Does she have a favourite film at least? "No," she says, then corrects herself. "I guess it would have to be Rosemary's Baby, because that's what got my whole career started. It's a fine film, immaculately realised by Roman Polanski -- I was just so lucky to have been involved."

It's like her saying "I was in Hannah And Her Sisters. It's a fine film, immaculately realised by Woody Allen -- I was just so lucky to have been involved."

http://www.independent.ie/woman/celeb-news/mia-farrow-i-only-ever-made-one-good-film-26835710.html

[redqueen]

39. You call being subpoenaed "goi(ng) out of her way to help him"? nt

Also, double quotes indicate an actual quote.

[edbermac]

40. She was subpoened? Where is that information?

From the articles I've read I assumed she went of her own accord.

[redqueen]

42. Framing of her testimony aside - it's interesting that above it is cited that records were destroyed

that teams of doctors found no evidence of Mia having coached Dylan, and refused repeatedly to allow Woody visitation... yet we are still combing through Mia's motivations regarding an unrelated matter.

Why?

I'm asserting this is nothing but an effort to distract from the issue and smear Mia. I stand by that assertion.

[edbermac]

43. Huh? I just asked where you got that info about her being subpoened.

Were you replying to another post?

[redqueen]

50. No, your first reply to this OP was an attempt to imply her testimony was somehow meaningful.

e.g. your made up quote.

None of this has anything to do with Dylan's letter, which is what got the BUT WHAT ABOUT MIA bullshit started to begin with. It's all about distraction from the actual issue.

[El_Johns]

53. That's what they do. You'll never hear about that supoena. It doesn't exist.

The trial was in England. Farrow went of her own volition.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9801E1DF163FF933A15754C0A9639C8B63

IOW, RQ just made it up because it sounded plausible.

And when you called her on it she changed the subject. And when you called her on that she got outraged and said more argle blargle gargle.

That's their technique of argumentation.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

45. Aren't you the one running around saying....

"The Collective DU is defending Woody Allen or watching his movies or saying they don't know what happened, therefore they are blankety blank blank and fuck them!"?

You've now determined people aren't allowed to do the same thing with Mia Farrow in what seems to be a very willing defense of Polanski, a known child rapist? Even if it's an unrelated matter (him being sleazy, which is apparently a HUGE shock to Mia) WHY should anyone defend him? We have people right here who've openly said on the Woody issue, they don't care about the legal system....he's a rapist and not entitled to any defense of any kind. Stop watching and buying his movies, protest awards shows, etc. etc....and if you don't you are a vile, awful person.

But you don't care to hold Mia Farrow to the same standard of defending a sick, child raping pervert.

Care to give me your thoughts on Polanski? Just so we're clear here....

[El_Johns]

54. There won't be a response, for obvious reasons.

[seabeyond]

57. you have been here a month and you are all that in familiarity with behavior and posters.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

61. In all fairness, she could have me on ignore

Don't know, don't care, really.

[byrne]

63. Because witnesses are subpoenaed - that's how it works.

If you are testifying in a court or giving a deposition (and you're not a party to the case) - then you've been subpoenaed. It's a specific process.

[pnwmom]

51. Some of the same people say Mia has supported her molester brother, which is an outright lie.

Mia and her brother are estranged.

[El_Johns]

55. Link to the estrangement? And actually, what people have been saying is that while Mia

made a big declaration about supporting the victims of abuse whenever and wherever etc, she has not come out with any big statement of support for her brother's victims -- in fact, she's said nothing whatsoever about that entire case.

Mia's brother was very vocal in attacking Allen in 93, so any estrangement must have happened after that.

I can't find anything about any estrangement using Google, maybe you can help.

None of her supporters here have expressed any support for John Farrow's victims either, strangely enough. Though like Mia Farrow they "always" stand with the victims.

[pnwmom]

56. I guess you missed this when you read the article:

From the November 2013 Vanity Fair:

http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2013/11/mia-farrow-frank-sinatra-ronan-farrow

Patrick, who had drug problems in youth and “terrifying emotional instability,” according to Mia, became a sculptor and committed suicide four years ago. Her estranged brother, John, recently pleaded guilty to sexually abusing young boys in Maryland.


__________________________

But my believing Dylan isn't dependent on my thinking Mia should be nominated for sainthood. I think Mia shouldn't have put up with Woody's poor parenting as long as she did, and that she might never have stopped him if she hadn't found out about Soon-yi.